In the field of a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material, it is requested that dye images obtained from a coupler are stable against color changing and color fading even when they are exposed to light for a long time or stored under high temperature and high humidity conditions.
However, it is known that the above-mentioned dye images do not have sufficient stability mainly against UV rays or visible rays so that they are subject to color change and color fading when they are exposed to the above-mentioned actinic rays. In order to dissolve the above-mentioned problems, there have been proposed methods including one to choose various couplers with a property of less color fading property, one to use a UV absorber for protecting dye images from UV rays or one to introduce to a coupler a group providing light flatness.
However, in order to provide satisfactory light fastness to dye images by the use of a UV absorber, it is necessary to use UV absorbers in a relatively large amount. In such occasions, dye images were sometimes noticeably contaminated due to coloring of the UV absorber itself. In addition, a UV absorber does not work to prevent color fading of dye images caused by visible rays. In other words, there is a limitation in improving light fastness by a UV absorber.
In addition, methods to use a phenol hydroxyl group or an agents for preventing dye image fading having a group which generates, through hydrolysis, a phenol hydroxyl group are known. For example, Japanese Patent Publication Nos. 31256/1973, 31625/1973 and 30462/1976 and Japanese Patent Publication Open to Public Inspection (hereinafter referred to as Japanese Patent O.P.I. Publication) Nos. 134326/1974 and 134327/1974 propose methods to use a phenols and a bisphenols. U.S. Pat. No. 3,069,262 proposes a method to use pyrogallol and garlic acid and its esters, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,360,290 and 4,015,990 propose methods to use a-tocopherols and its acyl derivatives, Japanese Patent Publication No. 27534/1977, Japanese Patent O.P.I. Publication No. 14751/1977, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,735,765 propose methods to use hydroquinone derivatives, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,432,300 and 3,574,627 propose methods to use 6-hydroxychromans, U.S. Pat. No. 3,573,050 proposes a method to use 5-hydroxychroman derivatives and Japanese Patent Publication No. 20977/1974 proposes a method to use 6,6'-dihydroxy-2,2'-spirobichromans. However, the above-mentioned compounds do not show sufficient effects for preventing color fading or color changing of dyes, though they show the effects to some extent.
British Patent No. 1,451,000 discloses a method to improve stability of dye images against light by the use of azomethine extinction compounds whose absorption peak is more bathochromic compared with the peak of dye images. However, their influence on the hue of dye images is so noticeable and disadvantageous, because the azomethine extinction compounds themselves are colored.
Methods to stabilize dyes against light by the use of metal complexes are disclosed in Japanese Patent O.P.I. Publication No. 87649/1975 and Research Disclosure No. 15162 (1976). However, an amount capable of providing enough effects for preventing color fading cannot be added since these complexes have neither sufficient effects for preventing color fading nor high solubility on organic solvents. In addition, these complexes themselves are noticeably colored, so that they adversely affect the hue and purity of the dye images formed through color development processing, when a large amount of them are added.